What Are the 4 Types of Audit Reports? (2024)

By KJ Henderson Updated March 07, 2019

An audit report is an appraisal of a small business’s complete financial status. Completed by an independent accounting professional, this document covers a company’s assets and liabilities, and presents the auditor’s educated assessment of the firm’s financial position and future. Audit reports are required by law if a company is publicly traded or in an industry regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Companies seeking funding, as well as those looking to improve internal controls, also find this information valuable.

Tip

There are four types of audit reports: and unqualified opinion, a qualified opinion, and adverse opinion, and a disclaimer of opinion. An unqualified or "clean" opinion is the best type of report a business can get.

Unqualified Opinion

Often called a clean opinion, an unqualified opinion is an audit report that is issued when an auditor determines that each of the financial records provided by the small business is free of any misrepresentations. In addition, an unqualified opinion indicates that the financial records have been maintained in accordance with the standards known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). This is the best type of report a business can receive.

Typically, an unqualified report consists of a title that includes the word “independent.” This is done to illustrate that it was prepared by an unbiased third party. The title is followed by the main body. Made up of three paragraphs, the main body highlights the responsibilities of the auditor, the purpose of the audit and the auditor’s findings. The auditor signs and dates the document, including his address.

Qualified Opinion

In situations when a company’s financial records have not been maintained in accordance with GAAP but no misrepresentations are identified, an auditor will issue a qualified opinion. The writing of a qualified opinion is extremely similar to that of an unqualified opinion. A qualified opinion, however, will include an additional paragraph that highlights the reason why the audit report is not unqualified.

Adverse Opinion

The worst type of financial report that can be issued to a business is an adverse opinion. This indicates that the firm’s financial records do not conform to GAAP. In addition, the financial records provided by the business have been grossly misrepresented. Although this may occur by error, it is often an indication of fraud. When this type of report is issued, a company must correct its financial statement and have it re-audited, as investors, lenders and other requesting parties will generally not accept it.

Disclaimer of Opinion

On some occasions, an auditor is unable to complete an accurate audit report. This may occur for a variety of reasons, such as an absence of appropriate financial records. When this happens, the auditor issues a disclaimer of opinion, stating that an opinion of the firm’s financial status could not be determined.

What Are the 4 Types of Audit Reports? (2024)

FAQs

What Are the 4 Types of Audit Reports? ›

There are four types of audit reports: and unqualified opinion, a qualified opinion, and adverse opinion, and a disclaimer of opinion. An unqualified or "clean" opinion is the best type of report a business can get.

What are the 4 types of audit report? ›

There are four types of audit reports: and unqualified opinion, a qualified opinion, and adverse opinion, and a disclaimer of opinion. An unqualified or "clean" opinion is the best type of report a business can get.

What are the different types of audit report form? ›

The four types of audit reports
  • Clean report. A clean report expresses an auditor's "unqualified opinion," which means the auditor did not find any issues with a company's financial records. ...
  • Qualified report. ...
  • Disclaimer report. ...
  • Adverse opinion report.
Jun 24, 2022

What are the 4 phases of the audit process and explain each? ›

Our goal throughout the audit process is to create a constructive, collaborative working relationship with management and employees responsible for the areas being reviewed. Every audit is unique; however, they generally consist of the following four phases: Planning, Fieldwork, Reporting, and Follow-up Procedures.

What are the 4 C's of internal audit? ›

This issue of Board Perspectives discusses the four C's directors should consider when evaluating the sufficiency of any risk-based audit plan: culture, competitiveness, compliance and cybersecurity.

What are some different types of audits? ›

There are six common types of audits - financial audits, operational audits, compliance audits, internal audits, IT audits, and quality audits. Understanding the different types of audits, their purposes, and their benefits can help organizations effectively manage risk and improve their operations.

What is the audit report? ›

The auditor's report is a document containing the auditor's opinion on whether a company's financial statements comply with GAAP and are free from material misstatement. The audit report is important because banks, creditors, and regulators require an audit of a company's financial statements.

What are the most common audit types? ›

There are three main types of audits: external audits, internal audits, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits. External audits are commonly performed by Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firms and result in an auditor's opinion which is included in the audit report.

What are the different types of internal audit reports? ›

Internal Audit Types
  • Financial/Controls Audits. ...
  • Compliance Audits. ...
  • Operational Audits. ...
  • Construction Audits. ...
  • Integrated Audits. ...
  • Information Systems (IS) Audits. ...
  • Special Investigations. ...
  • Follow-up Audits and Validation Testing.

How many types of audit are there in auditing? ›

Generally, there are three types of audits: external audits, internal audits, and audits conducted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is common for Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firms to conduct external audits, and the audit report includes the auditor's opinion.

What are the 5 stages of audit? ›

Audit Process
  • What happens during an audit? Internal audit conducts assurance audits through a five-phase process which includes selection, planning, conducting fieldwork, reporting results, and following up on corrective action plans.
  • Selection. ...
  • Planning. ...
  • Fieldwork. ...
  • Reporting. ...
  • Follow-up.

What are the four phases of financial audit? ›

There are four phases of a Financial Statement Audit: planning/risk assessment, internal control assessment, substantive testing and reporting. The audit phases last several months each, may overlap, and are continuous year after year.

Which is the 4 steps in accepting an audit engagement? ›

Each audit engagement is unique, but most share the basic steps of preparation, planning, field testing, and audit procedures, as well as subsequently rendering the audit opinion.

What is a 4 pillar audit? ›

The Sedex Self Assessment Questionnaire contains 4 major pillars – Labour Standards, Health & Safety, Environment and Business Ethics.

What is Big 4 auditor? ›

The "Big Four" is the nickname for the four largest accounting firms in the United States, as measured by revenue. They are Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG).

How do you survive a Big 4 audit? ›

How to survive Big 4 busy season
  1. Prepare and then prepare again.
  2. Set your family and friends' expectations.
  3. Know your schedule and work smart.
  4. Look after yourself.

What are the 6 elements of audit report? ›

The audit report template includes 7 parts of elements these are: report title, introductory Paragraph, scope paragraph, executive summary, opinion paragraph, auditor's name, and auditor's signature.

What are the 3 types of audits performed by the IRS? ›

The IRS manages audits either by mail or through an in-person interview to review your records. The interview may be at an IRS office (office audit) or at the taxpayer's home, place of business, or accountant's office (field audit). Remember, you will be contacted initially by mail.

What are the three general types audit? ›

The three primary types of audits include compliance audits, operational audits, and financial statement audits. Although all audits involve an investigation of supporting information, each type of audit has a different purpose.

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